Triggers and Risk Factors for Recurrence of Atrial Arrhythmias With the Use of Long-term Monitoring

Patterns of distinct triggers in relation to atrial arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, premature atrial contractions) within a monitoring period of 7 days. Mobile application and accelerometer of Holter ECG device will be used to record these factors as well as mark the time and the frequency of these actions. Attempts will be made to link all patient-marked triggers, their frequency, time of onset to the occurrence of arrhythmia.

Triggers such as:

coffee intake alcohol consumption distinguished by strength into:

• spirits: brandy, vodka,
• vine or champagne
• low alcohol drinks: beer, cider emotional stress, overeating, physical activity, strenuous exercise, cold food, cold drink, lack of sleep other activities or things participants feel are related to the onset of arrhythmias

Blood tests may be useful in determining the effect of concomitant illness, their exacerbations, or, conversely, the stable course of the disease on the arrhythmia.

Available results of each separate test (potassium, sodium, magnesium, BNP, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, lipid profile, c-reactive protein) in relation to atrial arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, premature atrial contractions) within a period of 3 months prior to 3 months after inclusion.

Each participant will be given a sleeping mat to put under the mattress and data collected from it in relation to atrial arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, premature atrial contractions) within a monitoring period of 7 days.

Measured separately as:

Sleep Quality Index, Apnea Episodes, Snoring Episodes, Snoring (%), Sleep Duration (Hours), Regular Sleep, Sleep Depth, Sleep Breaks

The results from the 48-hour blood pressure measurements (ambulatory BPM Mobil-o-graph's data) and additional 5 days measurements (Withings BPM) will be used to describe temporal relation between changes in blood pressure and atrial arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, premature atrial contractions) within a monitoring period of 7 days. The temporal relation will be measured as a time of blood pressure rise/fall before arrhythmia occurrence personalized for each individual and generalized for groups of individuals.

Collected data:

date, time, systole mean arterial pressure, Diastole, Peripheral pulse pressure (pPP), Heart rate (Hr), cSPB, cDBP, MAP-C2 (calibration for calculating the aortic central systolic blood pressure)

Echocardiography parameters will show cardiac status and function: chambers sizes, presence of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, atrial enlargement; the strains of left atrium and the predicted risk of these parameters in relation to atrial arrhythmias. Echocardiography will be acquired within a period of 3 months prior to 3 months after inclusion.

Echocardiography parameters: Main: LV ejection fraction (LV EF) (%), LV end diastolic diameter (LVdd) (cm), Interventricular septal diameter (IVd) (cm), LV posterior wall diameter (LVPWd) (cm), E and A waves (m/s), Left atrial diameter (cm), LA volume index (ml/m2), LA maximum volume (ml), E' lat, E' med (cm/s), E' vid, E/e' vid, E deceleration time (ms). Additional parameters (%): mean contractile strain, 4 chamber (4 CH) contractile strain, 2 CH contractile strain, mean conduit strain, 4 CH conduit strain, 2 CH conduit strain, mean reservoir strain (%), 4 CH reservoir strain (%), 2 CH reservoir strain (%).

The activity of autonomic nervous system will be measured as heart rate variability (HRV), standard deviation of normal-to-normal heart rate intervals (SDNN) and other parameters in relation to atrial arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, premature atrial contractions) within a monitoring period of 7 days.

To assess level of physical activity (measured as MET and the number of steps taken per day) in relation to atrial arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, premature atrial contractions) within a monitoring period of 7 days.

Before the start of monitoring participants will fill out the questionnaire of most frequent known triggers, which could provoke their arrhythmias as well as mark the arrhythmia-related symptoms and the burden of arrhythmia in everyday life.

After the monitoring of 7 days participants will fill out the questionnaire of the convenience of each device and the willingness to use them if recommended by a physician in everyday practice.

At least 3 months after the collected monitoring results are presented to the patients, the participants will fill out the questionnaire about changes of perceived potential triggers, symptoms, burden of arrhythmia and the quality of life ad symptoms.